site of fat loss

J

jdix

0
I've been losing weight slowly over the last year (maybe 15 pounds now) from a regimen that includes a reasonable diet combined with weight and aerobic training, about four to five times a week. So far so good. However I notice that my weight loss usually comes in spurts (and I can usually tell ahead of time because I start to urinate more) about every month or so. (Although I weigh myself regularly I average out the usual ups and downs that occur due to diet and exercise.) What bothers me is that the fat loss seems to occur in my derriere, not where I'd like it to be -- around my abdomen. My hip size has reduced and I fit into smaller sizes, but my waist seems to resist diminishing.

I'm male, around 70, about 5' 10", and overweight. The weight loss I've been referring to has me going from over 240 to under 230. (Note, I have weighed much more in the not too distant past and the loss during those years seemed to be more in the abdomen area.)

My wife tells me that women lose it first in the boobs. Is what I'm experiencing a common feature for men? I had always assumed that fat loss draws from every part of your body equally. Am I wrong?

James
 
jdix said:
I've been losing weight slowly over the last year (maybe 15 pounds now) from a regimen that includes a reasonable diet combined with weight and aerobic training, about four to five times a week. So far so good. However I notice that my weight loss usually comes in spurts (and I can usually tell ahead of time because I start to urinate more) about every month or so. (Although I weigh myself regularly I average out the usual ups and downs that occur due to diet and exercise.) What bothers me is that the fat loss seems to occur in my derriere, not where I'd like it to be -- around my abdomen. My hip size has reduced and I fit into smaller sizes, but my waist seems to resist diminishing.

I'm male, around 70, about 5' 10", and overweight. The weight loss I've been referring to has me going from over 240 to under 230. (Note, I have weighed much more in the not too distant past and the loss during those years seemed to be more in the abdomen area.)

My wife tells me that women lose it first in the boobs. Is what I'm experiencing a common feature for men? I had always assumed that fat loss draws from every part of your body equally. Am I wrong?

James
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You can't spot reduce, i.e. focus on losing weight in one area, so yes I would figure that weight loss draws fat equally around your body.
 
It doesn't draw equally from your body, but you can't control where it comes from. Just keep losing and it will eventually come off everywhere. For some people love handles are last to go, for some it's belly etc. It can be different for everyone
 
I hear ya, brotha. Not a heck of a lot you can do about it. Eventually, it'll start coming off. Just keep it up.
 
Phee said:
You can't spot reduce, i.e. focus on losing weight in one area, so yes I would figure that weight loss draws fat equally around your body.
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theGOOCH said:
It doesn't draw equally from your body, but you can't control where it comes from. Just keep losing and it will eventually come off everywhere. For some people love handles are last to go, for some it's belly etc. It can be different for everyone
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DEF said:
I hear ya, brotha. Not a heck of a lot you can do about it. Eventually, it'll start coming off. Just keep it up.
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Trifecta of info!

Frustrating it is, but you have no choice nor control: stay the course and victory will be yours! :D
 
site of fat loss (cont)

I appreciate the comments. They make a lot of sense. I'm beginning to think there is much more to it, however. First, there is clearly a genetic aspect to this, which pretty much says your body profile and stance will probably take after someone or another in your ancestry, which means not only that you will have their "look", but also will share the way their "look" ages. My brother, two years younger, for example, though he doesn't have the same face as our father, looks and stands uncannily like our dad did some forty years ago. (Our father passed away about thirty years ago.) For me, I tend to look to the way my grandfather on my mother's side did. Now, it's possible that I may have picked up my father's derriere at this late stage, though I can't be sure -- one usually doesn't see this sort of thing in pictures and I can't really recall what his looked like at a comparable age.

Second, the theory of losing fat everywhere at once during a weight loss may still be the case for me, even though it seemed to show up most dramatically in my buns. I could have lost weight in my abdomen equally, but because there is so much there it wasn't as noticeable.

Third, my wife, not believing this theory, keeps telling me that "belly fat" is the hardest because it is subcutaneous, as opposed to visceral. I have no idea how that should make any difference, but perhaps it does. I would expect this web site to include experts that would shed light on this phenomenon. Being new here, perhaps I'm asking too much.

James
 
jdix said:
Third, my wife, not believing this theory, keeps telling me that "belly fat" is the hardest because it is subcutaneous, as opposed to visceral. I have no idea how that should make any difference, but perhaps it does. I would expect this web site to include experts that would shed light on this phenomenon. Being new here, perhaps I'm asking too much.
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James.....

The thing is....you don't need to understand something in order to deal with it. Many people haven't a clue as to how a computer electronically works, but they still use it. We've all been dealt genetic cards and we just have to deal with it. Some people will go bald, some will lose their eyesight or hearing over time, some have huge lungs and heart capacity and do well with sports. It is what it is.

If you start eating less and moving more, you'll lose fat. You can't control where it'll come off; short of liposuction, you'll just have to submit to being a victim of genetic circumstances. Understanding why will not affect your ability to control it.

Suffice it to say, if you LEAN the way, your butt shall follow ;) When was the last time you saw some lean/cut person with a huge gut/butt/double-chin??? You know what to do....get on it and make it happen.

Btw...I ran it past my nutritionist and he says SBS (Swollen Butt Syndrome) is largely the result of excessive amounts of touching one's self while in the adolescent phase of their life. :sad3::cheeky:
 
site of weight loss - 3

Mr. BikeSwimLaugh...

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to say here. You sound so authoritative on this subject yet you cite no evidence or reference for the claims you make. Indeed, the advice you give (eat less and move more) is particularly uninformative. You'd probably give investment advice to others by saying you should buy low and sell high.

Besides, I think it does help to know how weight gain and weight loss works, just as it would help if one knows how a computer works, or, for that matter, how anything works. True, a large measure of trust is needed just to get through the day and we shouldn't spend our life questioning whether the signal will ever turn green, but your advice seems directed to the simpletons who become the subjects of the beer commercials we often see on the tube. I would hope your condescending tone doesn't derive from your thinking I'm too old and delicate to learn how things work.

Please note that I took seriously the statement on the top of this forum about weight loss which says: "If you're looking to lose weight and get in great shape, then you need to check here. No matter if its [sic] for a wedding or a vacation, you'll get some good tips." I hope this is not some overblown hype.

James
 
Relax, BSW likes to joke around, but at the same time he's giving you the right advice

It really is that simple. Tissue loss is all about calories in vs. calories out and you have no control about where it comes off first. You can break it down and analyze it all you want but that is the bottom line
 
Well, looks like you're no help either. Just like BSW, you provide no evidence for your claim. Since you apparently represent the expertise of this forum, I can't really expect more from it. I'll be signing out. Sorry to have been a bother to you all.

James
 
Look, this is a place for advice- not proof. Never been to a forum before? People aren't here to meet your standards of evidence. Everything stated above is true, sorry you don't like it. You want proof, get a textbook.
 
You seem to be going at a steady pace James, 15 pounds is a really good speed for about a year of loosing weight, you won't put the weight back on so quickly then. People are different and they loose weight in different ways, why not try to just focus on the body part you are wanting to loose weight for say a month or so and see if that helps? And yes your wife is right, woman do tend to loose weight in their boobs first so I guess what you are going through is just the same. :)
 
I guess I don't know how you don't know.
lovehandles and belly fat is last to go because, it's the first and natural place that adipose tissue is deposited and stored for later use, after more and more calories fill the bloodstream it then will get deposited semi equaly over the whole body, what fills up first is entirly dependant on your genetic background. when you loose weight the body will go through catabolism incuding (aerobic - anaerobic) and oxidation prosses, this will be done through bolth the body as a whole and targeted areas thats dependant on your genetic background. now im just at work in this forum and post by memory alone, if your looking for a specific chemical breakdown on how this works i suggest you contact you local Pathophysiologist.
 
jdix said:
Mr. BikeSwimLaugh...

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to say here. You sound so authoritative on this subject yet you cite no evidence or reference for the claims you make. Indeed, the advice you give (eat less and move more) is particularly uninformative.
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Indeed....?

Eat less means consume less calories then your body needs in order to create a calorie deficit...but alas; I have no proof that a calorie deficit results in weight-loss, so I suppose we'd better scratch that concept. :violent2:

jdix said:
You'd probably give investment advice to others by saying you should buy low and sell high.
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No...I realize nobody has a proverbial crystal ball to accurately predict when the market is high or low. What I would like say, is to spend less then you earn. Or in your particular case; read more then you type. :action2:

jdix said:
Besides, I think it does help to know how weight gain and weight loss works, just as it would help if one knows how a computer works, or, for that matter, how anything works. True, a large measure of trust is needed just to get through the day and we shouldn't spend our life questioning whether the signal will ever turn green, but your advice seems directed to the simpletons who become the subjects of the beer commercials we often see on the tube. I would hope your condescending tone doesn't derive from your thinking I'm too old and delicate to learn how things work.
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Oh no, my "condescending tone" is the more derived from the realization that you're too obtuse and ignorant to conceive the remedial nature of the information two other forum members have agreed is valid. My point is that if you eat less then your needs, you'll lose weight....you don't NEED to understand how your body processes and metabolizes fat in order for the fat-loss to occur. Ya know what dude, if I have to explain it to you, you're not smart enough to get it.

jdix said:
Please note that I took seriously the statement on the top of this forum about weight loss which says: "If you're looking to lose weight and get in great shape, then you need to check here. No matter if its [sic] for a wedding or a vacation, you'll get some good tips." I hope this is not some overblown hype.

James
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You're entirely right James....you've spent good money for our services and are certainly entitled to a full refund based on our gross failure to provide the services of a professional dietician.

It's simple; you can't control where the fat will come off your body. No particular exercise, diet or ANYTHING will affect where or how you're body will choose to lose fat. There is no specific "site of fat loss"; fat will be lost wherever and however your body chooses to take it. Being that you have no choice in the matter, just stay the course and you'll get there.

You'll have to excuse the humor...we get a lot of clueless newbies who drop-in asking the same questions WITHOUT DOING A SEARCH and just to spice things up we infuse a bit of humor and querk into our replies. There was a sincere interest here in helping you....but you had to have a senior-citizen moment on us and get all heavy-D (Dysfunctional).

Eh, he's gone anyways....what a grouchy old man.
 
jdix said:
Well, looks like you're no help either. Just like BSW, you provide no evidence for your claim. Since you apparently represent the expertise of this forum, I can't really expect more from it. I'll be signing out. Sorry to have been a bother to you all.

James
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I'm not defending a thesis. You asked for advice, we gave it. If you don'tlike it, piss off.

Don't let the door hit you on the vagina on the way out
 
Look. Advice is as common as dirt. Advice supported by experience is helpful. Advice supported by expertise may be even more helpful. Advice supported by research is probably best. I'd been hoping for more than mere advice. I wasn't asking for proof -- even science is not about proof, only best evidence and theories that have stood the test of time.

I haven't yet figured out a way of getting my name off the member's list, so I'll bide my time responding to what I've stirred up.

James
 
Most everything you heard IS supported by science. A lot of folks here study in these fields or have done extensive research. Just because it wasn't cited APA style for your reference, doesn't mean it's just opinion.
 
jdix said:
Look. Advice is as common as dirt. Advice supported by experience is helpful. Advice supported by expertise may be even more helpful. Advice supported by research is probably best. I'd been hoping for more than mere advice. I wasn't asking for proof -- even science is not about proof, only best evidence and theories that have stood the test of time.

I haven't yet figured out a way of getting my name off the member's list, so I'll bide my time responding to what I've stirred up.

James
Click to expand...

What has been stated in this thread as far as fat loss is true for the most part. Though each person can be different (especially between females and males), we can not spot reduce body fat, and there are many quality scientific material to support this.

One can decrease their body fat - through dietary manipulation and exercise and you can lose the portion you desire---->but you don't have the choice where it comes off as you move forward with your goal, but it WILL come off--from the place you want most--if your faithful with diet and exercise.

The main thing is to GET STARTED, develop your diet and exercise program, and then DEAL WITH your consistency and persistence demons (which IS the killer of most people wanting to lose body fat).

I am going to post this article for you to read to give you an idea.

Source:

Why cant we spot reduce?

This is an important question and one I'm frequently asked. You need to know a little bit of biology to understand the answer. Here's what you need to know. Fat is stored in special cells located all over your body called adipocytes. Adipocytes grow and shrink as they store and release fat, much like a balloon grows and shrinks as air is blown in and released. You gain weight when you pump up your adipocytes with fat by consuming more calories than you burn (excess calories can get stored as fat). You lose weight when your adipocytes release fat into the blood stream and shrink, either in response to exercise (exercise sends a signal to adipocytes to release fat) or when you reduce your calorie intake to the point where you are burning more than you consume. Fat released into the blood stream by adipocytes circulates to the muscles where it is burned for energy. (A car burns gasoline for energy; your muscles burn fat and carbohydrate.)

Exercise stimulates adipocytes to release fat by increasing circulation of hormones like norepinephrine (adrenaline). When norepinephrine reaches an adipocyte, no matter where in your body it's located, it signals special chemical messengers inside the adipocytes to stimulate fat release, and just like the balloon that shrinks when you let out the air, adipocytes shrink when they release fat. You will keep the fat off as long as it gets burned by the muscle and does not return to the adipocyte for storage. That's one of the reasons why exercise helps control body weight.

The reason that you can't spot reduce during exercise, which is what you are really asking, is that you don't have any control over which adipocytes release fat. Norepinephrine and the other hormones released during exercise do not discriminate. That is, they stimulate adipocytes to release fat wherever they are located. We all have patterns of weight loss and weight gain that tend to repeat (you typically gain and lose weight in the same pattern over and over), and we don't have any control over this.


Best wishes,


Chillen
 
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K1nS...

I think I can agree with your idea that losing weight at a slower rate means there is a greater chance of keeping it off longer and possibly even not gaining it back faster. However, at my age, after having gone through many cycles of weight loss and weight gain, I'm not entirely sure about this idea. If I had to chart it from my own experience, I'd say weight gain usually outpaces any prior weight loss. And I think this derives largely from the idea that we gain weight in proportion to the natural progression of sedentariness (there is undoubtedly a better word than this for our not being able to sustain the metabolic energy levels of our youth) over time. Beyond that, there are clearly growth factors that play into it as well as something that goes on in the declining period of our lives, something I can't put my finger on. Obviously we all have different sizes and shapes. This is most noticeable if you've ever watched a well-attended triathlon, particularly the swimming part. However, for the men that I've seen in the locker room at the YMCA, I'm thinking that it's not uncommon for men to have more of a belly than they had in their youth, while their derriere remains relatively proportional to the size of their thighs. Yet, something seems to be going on as we reach a certain age, say my own age of near 70. Our daughter's husband, his brother and father all have no rear end -- thus, this feature is undoubtedly hereditary, and through all my prior weight loss and weight gain cycles, I and many others have not seen my rear end disappear until now. That's when I began to notice that many in my age group may also be experiencing that same characteristic. Perhaps it would have happened even had I not been losing weight. Or even more interesting, the weight loss regimen I've been on may not have been working as well as even the 15 pounds per year that I'd measured and that it's only because there is a genetic propensity to lose one's derriere in the later stages of life that it has shown that much.

Anyway, there is undoubtedly a lot more that can be said about where weight loss occurs and I'm sure the experiences of those on this forum could add to the dialog. Unfortunately, at least so far, I've not seen much of value.

James
 
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